EDITORIAL

Published: March 28, 2004 7:00 PM

If there was a requirement that in order to participate in the NCAA mens basketball tournament colleges had to graduate at least half of their athletes, only about a third of this years teams would have qualified.

Thats according to the Chicago Tribune, which cited a Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics proposal three years ago to limit postseason competition to teams that graduate at least 50 percent of their players.

According to the Tribune, of the 65 teams in the tournament this year, only 21 would have qualified under that rule, down from 22 last year.

One of the things that added value to Sundays thrilling game between Xavier and Duke was the fact that both of these schools have relatively high academic standards for their athletes. They recruit kids capable of doing college-level work and structure their programs to assure that players devote enough time and energy to their studies.

Thats as it should be. Most college players will not turn pro and they need an education to prepare them for life after sports.